RICHARD DECKER SR.

November 11, 2019

LAMAR- The family will receive friends from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. this evening (Wednesday) at Daniel Funeral Home for Richard Wayne Decker Sr., 75, Lamar, who died Friday, Nov. 8, 2019, at Mercy Hospital in Joplin.

Inurnment will be at 11 a.m. Friday, at Fort Scott National Cemetery, with full military honors.

Condolences may be shared at www.dfhlamar.com.

Survivors include his wife Peggy; a son, Richard Decker Jr., Lamar; a daughter, Samantha Benson and husband Richard, Joplin; three grandchildren, Nathan Alexander Decker, Sara Brooke Benson and Tyler Bryce Benson and a sister, Francis Liggons Campbell and husband Kenneth.

He was preceded in death by two brothers, Jimmie Lee Decker and Boyd Louis Decker; a daughter-in-law, Audria Donet Decker and his dog Buddy.

Mr. Decker was born Oct. 26, 1944, in St. Louis, to Louis Gary and Vurble Moureen (Payton) Decker. He married Peggy Sue Bohannon on June 12, 1966, in Matthews and they celebrated 53 years of marriage until the time of his death. He proudly served in the United States Army during the Vietnam War from 1964 to 1972 and then served in the National Guard until 1997.

He worked as an auto mechanic and there was not a car he could not fix. He also was an avid deer hunter, enjoyed fishing, collecting and shooting guns, loved watching western movies, was a stock car racer and enjoyed building dune buggies from the ground up. He loved drinking coffee with his friends in the morning and was a member in the CB Club with the handle “Speed Buggy”. He was a simple, hardworking man who had a great love for his family and his country.